The Pretty Woman actor was shooting his new film Time Out of Mind in character when a tourist, Karin Gombeau, reportedly approached him and offered her pizza

The 64-year-old Hollywood actor has been dressed in character as homeless drifter George wandering the streets of New York for new movie Time Out of Mind.

But what the star of Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman didn't bank on was Parisian tourist Karine Gombeau who mistook Gere for a homeless man and offered him her pizza after spotting him sifting through a bin.

According to the New York Post, Gombeau was carrying home leftovers from dinner with her husband and son in Little Italy when she approached a dishevelled-looking Gere who asked "What's in the bag?"

She proceeded to inform him, "Je sui désolée (I am sorry), but the pizza is cold." Although it turns out multi-millionaire beggars can't be choosers as Gere reportedly replied, "Thank you so much, god bless you."

Gombeau apparently remained oblivious to the true identity of the mystery man until a worker at her New York hotel handed her a copy of the Post two days later with a photo of herself and Gere. "It was magical... It's crazy, this story. It's unimaginable that something like this could happen," she said. "I think he's very handsome, even at his age. Pretty Woman was not my favourite movie, but I really loved Chicago."

Gere and his co-star Kyra Sedgwick had been spotted in the city last week dressed in character as vagrants with the former photographed eating chips from a bin and pretending to urinate in the street.